FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   337   338   339   340   341   342   343   344   345   346   347   348   349   350   351   352   353   354   355   356   357   358   359   360   361  
362   363   364   365   366   367   368   369   370   371   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   >>   >|  
s, or from a spirit which, being full and overgorged with this beginning of good fortune, had lost the appetite of adding to it, already having enough to do to digest what it had taken in: he has his arms full, and can embrace no more: unworthy of the benefit fortune has conferred upon him and the advantage she had put into his hands: for what utility does he reap from it, if, notwithstanding, he give his enemy respite to rally and make head against him? What hope is there that he will dare at another time to attack an enemy reunited and recomposed, and armed anew with anger and revenge, who did not dare to pursue them when routed and unmanned by fear? "Dum fortuna calet, dum conficit omnia terror." ["Whilst fortune is fresh, and terror finishes all." --Lucan, vii. 734.] But withal, what better opportunity can he expect than that he has lost? 'Tis not here, as in fencing, where the most hits gain the prize; for so long as the enemy is on foot, the game is new to begin, and that is not to be called a victory that puts not an end to the war. In the encounter where Caesar had the worst, near the city of Oricum, he reproached Pompey's soldiers that he had been lost had their general known how to overcome; and afterwards clawed him in a very different fashion when it came to his turn. But why may not a man also argue, on the contrary, that it is the effect of a precipitous and insatiate spirit not to know how to bound and restrain its coveting; that it is to abuse the favours of God to exceed the measure He has prescribed them: and that again to throw a man's self into danger after a victory obtained is again to expose himself to the mercy of fortune: that it is one of the greatest discretions in the rule of war not to drive an enemy to despair? Sylla and Marius in the social war, having defeated the Marsians, seeing yet a body of reserve that, prompted by despair, was coming on like enraged brutes to dash in upon them, thought it not convenient to stand their charge. Had not Monsieur de Foix's ardour transported him so furiously to pursue the remains of the victory of Ravenna, he had not obscured it by his own death. And yet the recent memory of his example served to preserve Monsieur d'Anguien from the same misfortune at the battle of Serisoles. 'Tis dangerous to attack a man you have deprived of all means to escape but by his arms, for necessity teaches violent resolutions: "G
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   337   338   339   340   341   342   343   344   345   346   347   348   349   350   351   352   353   354   355   356   357   358   359   360   361  
362   363   364   365   366   367   368   369   370   371   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

fortune

 

victory

 

Monsieur

 

pursue

 

terror

 

despair

 

attack

 

spirit

 

necessity

 

exceed


measure

 

escape

 

prescribed

 

deprived

 

expose

 

obtained

 

danger

 

teaches

 

coveting

 

resolutions


fashion

 
clawed
 

contrary

 

restrain

 

effect

 

precipitous

 
violent
 
insatiate
 
favours
 
served

charge

 

preserve

 

convenient

 

thought

 

Anguien

 
ardour
 
memory
 

obscured

 

Ravenna

 

transported


furiously

 

remains

 

social

 

defeated

 
Marsians
 

dangerous

 

Marius

 
discretions
 

recent

 

Serisoles